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M.S. Swaminathan and Viksit Bharat

Syllabus

GS 3: Agriculture

Why in the News?

Recently, M.S. Swaminathan’s centenary year and the biography “M.S. Swaminathan: The Man Who Fed India” renewed debate on food security, scientific autonomy, and lessons from the green revolution in India for Viksit Bharat.

Introduction

  • India’s dream of becoming Viksit Bharat depends on strong scientific and technological foundations.
  • The life and work of M.S. Swaminathan, the father of India’s Green Revolution, offer timeless lessons.
  • His leadership, scientific vision, and ability to bridge research with policy helped transform India’s food security in the 1960s.
  • Revisiting these lessons in his centenary year is crucial for addressing present challenges in agriculture, sustainability, and scientific development.

Context of Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Science

  • India’s aspiration of becoming a developed nation requires building robust scientific capabilities.
  • The new digital economy demands atmanirbharata (self-reliance) in key sectors.
  • The most successful historical example of self-reliance was the Green Revolution in India.
  • Dr. Swaminathan’s leadership in achieving food security provides a model for future self-reliance in science and technology.

New Biography of M.S. Swaminathan

  • A new book titled M.S. Swaminathan: The Man who Fed India by Priyambada Jayakumar was published in his birth centenary year.
  • The author had detailed personal and professional discussions with Swaminathan.
  • The book presents both his personal journey and professional achievements.
  • More importantly, it highlights lessons from his work that are relevant for India’s present and future scientific growth.

Scientific Breakthroughs Require Collaboration

  • Scientific progress is rarely the result of one scientist working alone in a laboratory.
  • Cross-fertilisation of ideas and collaboration with scientists across the world is essential.
  • The Green Revolution illustrates how international cooperation can accelerate national progress.

Challenge of Wheat Productivity

  • Farmers knew that fertilizer and inputs could increase wheat productivity.
  • However, heavy grain heads caused stalks to bend and collapse.
  • Swaminathan experimented with radiation-induced mutations to strengthen stalks but progress was limited.

Learning from Japan and Mexico

  • In 1958, a Japanese scientist told Swaminathan about dwarf wheat with shorter, stronger stalks.
  • These varieties had reached the U.S. but were being developed for winter climates, unsuitable for India.
  • Norman Borlaug in Mexico, however, was developing a variety suitable for other climates.
  • Swaminathan, who had met Borlaug earlier, convinced him to send Mexican wheat seeds to India.
  • These seeds performed well in Indian conditions and offered hope of addressing food insecurity.

Bureaucratic Delays and the Cost of Time

  • Swaminathan proposed inviting Borlaug to India for collaboration in 1960.
  • The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) approved it quickly.
  • But bureaucratic approvals delayed Borlaug’s arrival until March 1963.
  • Swaminathan often quoted Nehru’s phrase: “everything can wait but not agriculture”.
  • Yet bureaucracy ignored urgency, wasting two years.
  • Lesson: For science to thrive, bureaucratic control over research collaborations and international travel must be drastically reduced.

Field Trials and the Role of Political Support

  • Next step was testing Mexican wheat seeds on farmers’ fields.
  • Ministry of Agriculture initially refused to fund the trials.
  • A turning point came when Lal Bahadur Shastri became Prime Minister in 1964 and appointed C. Subramaniam as Agriculture Minister.

Critical Meeting with Agricultural Scientists

  • Subramaniam called around 20 agricultural scientists to discuss food production strategies.
  • Swaminathan, though only 39 years old, spoke frankly about the new wheat seeds and lack of funds for trials.
  • Subramaniam immediately acted, ensured financial support, and enabled the trials.
  • Lesson: Political leaders must directly listen to scientists instead of relying only on bureaucracy.

Importance of Political Leaders Who Understand Science

  • Many ministers in the 1950s lacked understanding of research and expected quick solutions without technical insight.
  • Swaminathan admired Nehru’s commitment to science but realised few in government shared it.
  • China’s success partly stems from technically trained ministers, often engineers with management experience.
  • Subramaniam represented such leadership: a physics graduate with genuine appreciation for science.
  • Lesson: For India to achieve Viksit Bharat, more scientifically informed ministers are needed at both central and state levels.

Scaling the Green Revolution

  • After successful trials, the Green Revolution required large-scale implementation.
  • This meant importing 18,000 tonnes of Mexican wheat seed the largest seed shipment in history.
  • Cost: ₹5 crore in foreign exchange.

Opposition and Conflicting Opinions

  • Finance Ministry opposed high foreign exchange spending.
  • Planning Commission doubted new seeds would outperform traditional ones.
  • Left parties opposed seeds due to U.S. funding links via Rockefeller Foundation.
  • Shastri, caught between conflicting views, visited IARI and personally saw the results.
  • He approved the imports, showing the value of evidence-based decision-making.

Continuity under Indira Gandhi

  • After Shastri’s untimely death in 1966, Indira Gandhi supported Swaminathan’s initiative.
  • Her political backing ensured the Green Revolution’s success.
  • Lesson: Conflicting opinions are inevitable, but once a decision is taken at the highest level, full support and independent monitoring are necessary.

Impact of the Green Revolution

  • By 1968**, India saw a bumper wheat** harvest.
  • This allowed India to reduce dependence on U.S. food aid under PL 480.
  • The achievement turned India from a food-deficit to a self-sufficient nation.
  • However, new problems soon emerged.

Environmental Concerns

  • Overuse of water and fertilizers caused ecological issues.
  • Soil health degraded, and water tables fell.
  • Swaminathan himself warned about the need for course corrections for sustainable agriculture.
  • Unfortunately, many of these corrections remain unimplemented.

Lessons for Present and Future Challenges

Climate Change Threat

  • Climate change is expected to reduce agricultural productivity significantly.
  • Strong agricultural science is needed to mitigate risks.

Weakness of Indian Research Institutions

  • In the late 1960s, India was ahead of China in agricultural research.
  • Today, China has eight agricultural institutions in the world’s top 10.
  • India does not feature in the top 200.

Funding Deficiency

  • India spends only 0.43% of agricultural GDP on R&D.
  • China spends double that amount.

Issues of Quality and Autonomy

  • Lack of institutional autonomy hampers recruitment and promotion of merit-based scientists.
  • Political interference limits effective decision-making.
  • Lesson: Research institutions must be granted autonomy and resources to deliver results.

Need for Scientist-Politician Dialogue

  • Swaminathan had direct access to decision-makers like Shastri and Subramaniam.
  • Today, agricultural scientists often lack such access.
  • Restoring close engagement between scientists and political leaders is essential.

Relevance Beyond Agriculture

  • The lessons from the Green Revolution apply to all fields of science and technology.
  • Collaboration with global experts, reduction of bureaucratic hurdles, and strong political backing are critical.
  • Atmanirbhar Bharat in digital economy, biotechnology, energy, and climate adaptation requires similar models.
  • Honouring Swaminathan means filling gaps in research funding, autonomy, and governance.

Conclusion

M.S. Swaminathan’s legacy shows that science, supported by visionary political leadership and institutional autonomy, can transform nations. For Viksit Bharat, India must embrace these lessons to ensure food security, sustainability, and technological self-reliance. The green revolution in India, spearheaded by Dr. Swaminathan, demonstrates the potential of agricultural research and high-yielding varieties to achieve food self-sufficiency. However, future challenges require a renewed focus on organic farming, environmental sustainability, and supporting small and marginal farmers to create an evergreen revolution in Indian agriculture.

Source

The Hindu

Mains Practice Question

“The Green Revolution was not just a scientific achievement but a political-administrative breakthrough.” Critically discuss in light of M.S. Swaminathan’s contributions.